As you enter a new year, take a moment to reflect on the previous one. You have undergone a tremendous experience with addiction recovery. However, it can be difficult to allow the past to be the past. It’s time to learn how to invite in the new year and renew your commitment to staying sober with an optimistic mindset.
Renewing sober goals starts with understanding that you have already undergone the most challenging part of the recovery journey, and now you just have to maintain it. Staying optimistic and welcoming the new year can be a chance for reflection, accountability, and consistency. This gives you the chance to feel uplifted and get ready to take on the new year.
Many things you learned during addiction recovery guided you toward living a healthy lifestyle. You likely did some soul-searching and began living an alternative lifestyle that made you feel alive without the dependence on drugs or alcohol. Sometimes, though, negative thought processes and feelings may re-emerge when you reflect on previous experiences. When these thoughts emerge, they can make you more vulnerable to regressing on your path rather than jumping forward if you let them persist.
The previous year may have had ups and downs, and upon reflection, sometimes the downs can seem more prominent and bring you down. You can't fix or change things in the past by worrying about them, but reflecting on them can ignite a flame in you to avoid those mistakes moving forward. Instead of ruminating on bad experiences, think about the achievements and progress you made, the good times, and look forward to more of those.
Worry and stress can decrease your psychological reasoning. It can be the driving factor of where your attention goes. Right now is the best time to address how you’re feeling and rewire your mindset to look for different ways to be optimistic when worry comes around. You may never be able to leave the fear of bad experiences behind, but you can turn the fear into focus rather than let it consume you.
As you start to focus your attention on increasing a positive mindset, remember that it will take time. The previous year was filled with moments of success, difficulty, and change, all of which helped guide you to where you are today. Remember that patience is vital, and changing your mindset to look for the positives will take time. The new year rolls around, and you can use your previous experience to decide how you want things to go this year.
Everyone makes mistakes, but you get to choose how to react to those mistakes. If you use them as a learning experience rather than a major setback, that can make all the difference. You can evaluate why things went sideways and vow to do better next time. Have patience, practice, and push yourself to continue to be a better person. You’ve already come this far, and it’s worth maintaining.
Since entering a new year often involves reflections and goals, this is the perfect time to outline your next year’s plans to maintain your sobriety. Push yourself to accomplish more than you did this year. When you envision yourself in a better place, you’re halfway to the end goal. Invite the new year as a way to work on plans for your family, your career, your health, and find the means to accomplish each goal.
If you want to motivate yourself further, surround yourself with people who care about you and will be an encouragement to you. Life is not meant to be lived in isolation or insecurity about the future. It’s about the present. You can't change things that happened in the past, but right now, you can control your emotions, optimism, and happiness. Let the new year be an opportunity to invite in and welcome the new you.
When you expect the best to happen, you are more focused on the good things rather than the bad when they come. When you expect the worst, you are likely trying to protect yourself. If you expect the worst in the new year, you may be missing happy moments and positive experiences, so focus on the positives.
Life comes with many positives and negatives — it's just part of being human. What you focus on is what makes the experience what it is. If you gear your mindset toward positivity, you'll experience a life filled with pleasant outcomes and surprises. When you implement optimistic progression, change is possible. When you make active commitments to sobriety, you'll see real progress.
At NorthStar Transitions, we believe when you choose to be optimistic and have a positive mindset, you will be more inclined to go with the flow and be successful in your goals. It’s time to start focusing on your previous year's successes and how you can ride that wave into the next year. If you or your loved ones struggle with substance use or feel that you're stuck thinking about past failures, you may need to ensure you surround yourself with others who will push you to maintain your sober commitment. If you are an alumnus of NorthStar Transitions, we're so glad you've found healing, but we know that leaving the treatment center is not the end. We have alumni programs to help you get in the right mindset for the new year. For more information on how you can stay on top of your sober commitment, contact NorthStar Transitions today at (303) 558-6400.
